Metal Scrapping business considered ‘total loss’ after fire in Greenville

GREENVILLE — A metal scrapping business in Greenville is considered a, “total loss” after a fire Sunday night.

>>PHOTOS: Crews on scene of structure fire in Greenville

Several fire crews responded to reports of a metal scrapping business that caught fire at the 300 block of Central Avenue around 5:52 p.m.

The owner of the business was working inside with another person scrapping metal and cardboard when some his cardboard caught, Greenville Fire Chief Kevin Subler told News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis. He did not know how badly of if those two people were hurt.

The business owner said, “he was okay,” according to Lewis.

“Before he had a chance to knock (the fire) it down with his extinguishers, it traveled up, got into the insulation above him and it was just too much for him,” he said.

The two people made it out okay and the cause of the fire is determined to be accident but the business is considered, “a total loss,” Subler said.

“It’s a complete loss, there’s nothing here,” he said.

The owner worked with cardboard and metals, aluminum and steel.

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Raw Video: Crews on scene of structure fire in Greenville

Fire crews are working on putting out hotspots Sunday night so it does not rekindle, making crews return, according to Subler.

“We have to worry about the structure itself,” he said. “It’s weakened from the heat and we’ve had a lot of that ceiling collapse. We are trying to safely as possible dig in and put those outspots.

There was also concern since there were a number of propane tanks inside the business.

“He had a compactor inside, some various torches inside,” Subler told Lewis. “Most were running on propane and they were a ton of additional propane tanks inside, twenty to thirty pound cylinders.”

Greenville fire received mutual aid from several departments from Darke County.

News Center 7 will continue to provide updates.

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